The gang is back for a momentous occasion: OUR 50TH EPISODE, where we dissect Episode 336: Pandemonium. We touch on Falconia's dark side, Locus' agenda, Rickert's allegiance, Daiba's drugged-out eyes, and Apostle Epcot. We also have a new feature: audio listener questions. Tama and Oburi were kind enough to submit two of these, and we had a lot of fun trying to answer them.

After the Berserk chat, it's on to Batman: TAS, Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and some shitty book about the '90s console wars.

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Awesome podcast, and congrats on number 50. Also, I don't know if anyone else feels the same way, but one episode that sticks out to me is the one where Guts teams up with Zodd and rides him to pierce through Ganishka. I'm not sure if it is my favorite episode but it definitely stands out.

Good in-depth discussion like always. Lots of funny moments too when talking about the apostles in Falconia.

I really like The Morning Departure episode when Guts decides to leave the Band of the Falcon. A tense and sad moment for everyone involved. It's a great way to show off Guts' independence and how he has evolved from when he first fought against Griffith.

Just got done listening, itís good to hear you guys talking about new Berserk again! You pointed out a few very interesting details that got me thinking.

Regarding Daibaís eyes, I guess I always assumed that their unusual quality, like Schierke's, was linked being a magic user. Though now that I think about it, Floraís eyes donít have any really weird characteristics. I wonder how many weird eyes (or other body parts) weíll see on magic users in Elfhelm? Iím really interested to see if Miura will address that, I can picture him having some fun with different character designs.

Those were some great questions, Tama and Oburi! Everybody had good picks, but what about Scar (2)? I'm a bit of a sap, I guess.

And Aaz, I canít believe it! 7 seasons of TNG wasnít enough punishment for you? Iíll be honest, a lot of people donít like DS9 for whatever reason, but itís one of my favorites. I liked the dynamic between Quark and Odo a lot.

On a final note, I have to say that I enjoyed listening up till the very end when you mentioned Batman TAS on Netflix. Just bought the volume 1 boxset yesterday. Well, at least I can bury it in my back yard and sell it for an inflated price when internet streaming goes down the tubes. My day will come!

Regarding Daibaís eyes, I guess I always assumed that their unusual quality, like Schierke's, was linked being a magic user. Though now that I think about it, Floraís eyes donít have any really weird characteristics. I wonder how many weird eyes (or other body parts) weíll see on magic users in Elfhelm? Iím really interested to see if Miura will address that, I can picture him having some fun with different character designs.

His eyes could be related to how Eastern and Western magic differ.

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On a final note, I have to say that I enjoyed listening up till the very end when you mentioned Batman TAS on Netflix. Just bought the volume 1 boxset yesterday. Well, at least I can bury it in my back yard and sell it for an inflated price when internet streaming goes down the tubes. My day will come!

You guys become more and more professional with each episode! Our podcasts are better than some radio programs that I've been listening to for a long time.

My only complaint is that the participants are very enthusiastic about apostles, fight, blood, the architecture of the dome and so on, but not so much about the small relationship between Erica and Daiba, which I found most interesting myself!

The thought of some kind of fight happening on the bridge in the distant future is exciting It's easy to imagine and seems very likely, at some point.

When I think about my favorite Berserk moment the first thing that comes to mind is when Skullknight appeared at the junction of times and took a strike at Femto. No doubt that preview was one of the craziest things I'd ever seen.

The audio questions are a great addition I think. I enjoyed the discussion. It's cool to think about Vritannis crumbling, decaying and overgrown and overrun with all sorts of shit. Thanks!

When I think about my favorite Berserk moment the first thing that comes to mind is when Skullknight appeared at the junction of times and took a strike at Femto. No doubt that preview was one of the craziest things I'd ever seen.

Agreed. Everything about that preview, the speculation, the excitement...it was certainly an amazing time to be a Berserk fan. Everything that transpired atop Ganishka (the return of Femto, Skull Knights intervention, Rakshas hiding out, etc) is probably my favorite moment of the series so far. Not to mention Vol. 34's amazing cover.

And Aaz, I canít believe it! 7 seasons of TNG wasnít enough punishment for you? Iíll be honest, a lot of people donít like DS9 for whatever reason, but itís one of my favorites. I liked the dynamic between Quark and Odo a lot.

Well, I tend to be thorough when I start something so I figure I'll just go through it all eventually (except Enterprise I guess). It doesn't help that I've been super excited for Elite: Dangerous and Star Citizen (two very ambitious space sims currently in development) for a while. Anyway, about DS9, it's a bit strange. I think the series really takes quite a while before it hits its stride, and I groaned my way through a lot of the first two seasons. I found Avery Brooks' (the guy who plays Sisko) acting to be pretty bad at first and I had some trouble with Odo as well, who I felt was just slogging through his "grumpy guy" repertoire. Plus a lot of episodes just weren't super interesting.

Eventually though, I don't know, the characters grew on me, I felt that the actors got better, the story got better... And now where I'm at currently it's pretty nice. I've grown fond of Sisko's somewhat eccentric style, I love Dax (so hotttt), Bashir, even Kira and O'Brien (his everyman caricature is somehow more sympathetic to me than what was done with Geordi on TNG). Odo is cool too, I think he's hit his groove and their attempts at humanizing him work well. Quark can sometimes be tiresome when the writing is uninspired but I think the actor is one of the better ones among the cast and he can be really enjoyable. Same with Rom actually, they make a great team and have cracked me up a few times. Funnily enough, my favorite character on the show so far is probably Dukat, the former head of the station from when it was under Cardassian rule. I don't know, he's just so good at being a dick, it's delectable, and yet he's surprisingly nuanced as well. Garak deserves a good word too. Even the kids are not that bad, at first the Jake/Nog thing was a bit cringe-worthy but I like what they did with it (I thought Nog wanting to join starfleet was great) and the relationship between Jake and his dad feels a lot more genuine than anything that ever happened with Wesley.

Beyond that, I think the effort on creating a more coherent storyline versus having mostly standalone episodes plays a role in my enjoyment of the show, as well as the fact it deals with what feels like bigger events than TNG. You've got the Dominion infiltrating everything, the Klingon are out for blood, the good guys have a warship that's got a cloak and is stacked up with guns... I think the reveal that the founders are Odo's people was a bit contrived and I saw it coming almost as soon as they were mentioned, but it made for an interesting premise and drastically boosted his character. Precipitating those events feels like it's kicked the show into second gear. Beyond that, the topics the show addresses are surprisingly mature sometimes, and it treats them adequately too. I'm thinking specifically of the Bajor/Cardassia relationship, how the characters deal with their past, and the way each side views the other or the action they performed. One scene impressed me the other day in which Dukat tells Kira that he feels Cardassia's occupation had a positive influence on Bajor and helped make it stronger. His rationale and arguments were very close to what was once said about France's colonisation of Africa.

Anyway, I still have more than half the show left to watch but I'd say it's been worth it so far.

That was a great podcast! Congrats on hitting 50 (or 51 episodes ), I am always looking forward to listening to everyone's opinions on the subject of Berserk, and I learn something or see things in a different light after hearing it. I laughed when you guys mentioned about people who may listen to the entire audio episode just staring at a blank screen, I usually am browsing the Internet at the same time for some of them, but what I really like to do is have my graphic novel next to me during the current re-read volumes so I can follow a long; hopefully that doesn't sound weird

With 336 I'm curious as to where Griffith's throne room is located as well. I assumed it would be back at the main human area of Falconia, as it seemed like Locus went out of his way to bring Rickert away from him to the dome. I like that we are seeing a different side to Daiba, I never thought back when he was fighting Guts before this that he would be working as a stable man, hiding out with Garuda and talking to Erika and Luca of all people. Good stuff!

Thanks for answering my question, I didn't realize how tough coming up with an answer was until I started thinking about it myself. There are so many memorable scenes, but if I had to pick one (or two), I guess it would be the episodes 'Cracks in the blade' and 'A feeble flame' from volume 17. When I went through every volume and read them again a year ago or so, those two stuck out with me for some reason. I like Godo's talk with Guts in his bed, and how he compares the sword to Guts' recent life style of revenge and leaving Casca behind, It's very moving to me. Guts sitting by the fire in the cave thinking about all the things that have happened and we get a reminder of some of the events leading up to this was nice. I love the artwork, Guts Silhouette when he finds Erika is very mysterious and intimidating, while the shot of him standing up proclaiming he will never lose Casca again in the morning is one of my favorites.

Your question was really interesting too Oburi! I hope we do get to revisit it at some point, I really wonder if it will be taken over by monsters now or they are holding together somehow. Thanks again Skullknight for taking the time to make these every month, it is a real treat and I hope the podcasts continue!

I think the series really takes quite a while before it hits its stride, and I groaned my way through a lot of the first two seasons. I found Avery Brooks' (the guy who plays Sisko) acting to be pretty bad at first and I had some trouble with Odo as well, who I felt was just slogging through his "grumpy guy" repertoire. Plus a lot of episodes just weren't super interesting.

Yeah, I rewatched some old clips recently and realized that Odo was kind of a cheeseball. He seemed a whole lot cooler when I was 8. Avery Brooks just seems like a pretty eccentric guy. I think his Sisko character might make him come off as more normal than he is in real life.

Funnily enough, my favorite character on the show so far is probably Dukat, the former head of the station from when it was under Cardassian rule. I don't know, he's just so good at being a dick, it's delectable, and yet he's surprisingly nuanced as well.

Well, he's been praticing since TNG, so I guess he's got an excuse to be a good Cardassian. Accept no imitations!

Anyway, I honestly don't remember the show too well, and a lot of the political stuff went over my head at the time, but it sounds like it might be worth revisiting someday. One thing I liked a lot about DS9 is how it didn't just have Starfleet people, it had scumbags and losers and... whatever Morn is supposed to be...

I laughed when you guys mentioned about people who may listen to the entire audio episode just staring at a blank screen, I usually am browsing the Internet at the same time for some of them, but what I really like to do is have my graphic novel next to me during the current re-read volumes so I can follow a long; hopefully that doesn't sound weird

That's a pretty smart thing to do, actually. I don't retain info very well when I'm just listening to something, so I've had to re-listen to the majority of the Skullkast a few times to get most of the info into my head. Having the visuals to help must make it easier.

I have the same issue. I can't listen to a podcast while browsing and reading, after a while I'll realize I hadn't comprehended anything that was said. I need to give it my full attention and unfortunately my commute isn't long enough so I do end up just staring at the screen the whole time lol.

I have the same issue. I can't listen to a podcast while browsing and reading, after a while I'll realize I hadn't comprehended anything that was said. I need to give it my full attention and unfortunately my commute isn't long enough so I do end up just staring at the screen the whole time lol.

I also listen to a lot of podcasts while cleaning. Do you do dishes or laundry often...?

In my experience, I can't listen to podcasts properly (paying enough attention) while also doing something else. I guess I might just not be good at multitasking.I usually listen to them when I take a rest from work or after lunch. I ofen fall asleep while listening... Not saying they're boring or anything though!

Glad you guys had been watching BTAS. I highly recommend following it up with Superman TAS, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. It's so much fun to see the whole thing through.

Glad you guys had been watching BTAS. I highly recommend following it up with Superman TAS, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. It's so much fun to see the whole thing through.

I saw a good deal of these back in the day. The Justice League and JLU series were my favorite (not counting the original Batman series). Was never a big fan of Batman Beyond though.

We just got to The New Batman Adventures and, man, it's a tough transition. Frankly, it looks like shit compared to TAS (the Joker is an unrecognizably simplified abomination), and overall everything feels a bit more cartoonish now (didn't help that the first production episode was a silly Christmas anthology). Also, gone are the lovely noir-style title cards for each episode, replaced by IMPACT font credits that look like they were made by windows movie maker. I've read the network was actually supposed to be less restrictive with this series, and we're only three episodes in, so we'll probably give it another chance, but the emphasis on Batman's buddies and the awful redesigns aren't making it easy. Rather than looking forward to seeing the continuation of TAS, I feel like it's already over.